What the Croc? How Crocs Became 2021's Favourite Shoe

Love ‘em or loathe them, if you didn’t see a pair of Crocs on your TV, Instagram or TikTok feeds this summer, where were you?

The polarising rubber clog had a moment this year, far surpassing its previous reputation as the footwear choice of chefs, nurses, and the shoe you put on when you’re putting the bins out. And sure, they’re comfy. Thanks to their sturdy sole, they’re basically a slipper that you can wear outdoors. Plus, they’re super easy to keep clean, and if you’re a creative soul you can dress them up as much as you like with Jibbitz charms.

But somehow, the humble Croc broke out of its cocoon of shame to bloom into fashion’s newest darling. Part in thanks to celebrity and designer co-signs from the likes of Justin Bieber’s Drew House, several Balenciaga collabs, and paparazzi pics of Kanye West, Crocs have seen a sudden resurgence. But what else could be at play here? We took a deep dive into why exactly Crocs became popular, and how the ugly shoe became a key part of 2021’s aesthetic.

Crocs have been gaining traction for a while now. They featured on Lyst’s 2020 report as the 9th hottest item in the world, and our data shows that searches for Crocs continued to climb this year. At the start of the 2021, the Crocs Classic Clog took to the Oscar’s red carpet, and in the days following, the brand enjoyed £331m in sales. But what else contributed to the madness and set Crocs on track for their biggest year yet?

Google Trends data saw searches for Crocs increase yet again in June 2021. Why? Well, they were on our TV screens 6 days a week for eight weeks. That’s right, the Love Island cast LOVED their Crocs, and the potential odd tan lines didn’t stop them from parading around the villa in them. To be fair, they’ve got to be a lot more comfortable than the flip flops and wedge heels worn throughout seasons past.

During the Islander’s summer getaway, our data showed that the demand for the slip-on clog was up 1,300%, with contestants Faye causing a 324% spike in searches for "White Crocs" alone, and Hugo helping "Lilac Crocs" see a 950% increase in demand. Their power!

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Crocs have had their shot at fame - the brand have become well-known for their collaborations. Christopher Kane brought Crocs to runway in 2017, and fashion house, Balenciaga, first collaborated with the brand back in 2018 to create a high-fashion, exaggerated platform version of the shoe under creative director Demna Gvasalia. Known for his ironic approach to fashion with his previous label, Vetements, the shoe provided perfect commentary for what his approach to fashion was to be - over the top and responsive to pop culture.

This year saw Balenciaga attempt an even bolder take on the shoe. A green Croc atop a thin black high heel appeared on their Instagram, causing quite the stir in the social stratosphere. Just a couple of days after that, the brand made headlines again with a provocative campaign, just after Kanye West was spotted in Balenciaga x Crocs wellies.

Another 2018 collab with streetwear brand Alife saw the brand take socks and crocs to new heights, with a white pair featuring a pair of inbuilt socks. As fun as they were, they lost the practical elements the clog was originally loved for, as they become infinitely harder to clean than most other versions.

Streetwear brand PLEASURES also teamed up with the brand a number of times - their most recent collab was released in October 2021. Palace Skateboards joined the Croc club the same year with a camo print classic clog, and other streetwear-centric collabs include Takashi Murakami, Chinatown Market and BEAMS.

2021 also saw Crocs collaborate with Justin Bieber’s Drew House for the second time. Biebz has previously been spotted pulling the shoes off with multiple ‘fits, so when he dropped a pair of lilac classic clogs this year, fans and owners of the previous yellow version were already Croc converts. The same can’t be said for Victoria Beckham though - Posh Spice was gifted a pair but told JB that she’d rather die than wear them.

Bad Bunny also hopped on the Crocs collaboration train this year, and Post Malone released a fifth pair, proving himself to be a long-time fan of the brand.

With co-signs from the likes of JB, Pharrell Williams, Saweetie and Ariana Grande all over our IG feed, there’s no wonder we’re seeing loads of cute new styles appear on the likes of mainstream retailers like ASOS and JD. Crocs have dominated our social media feeds this year, being spotted on the feet of fashion editors, celebs and influencers.

As of now, the Crocs Instagram account boasts 1.2 million followers, and the popularity has filtered down through the feeds of editors, like Teen Vogue’s Michelle Li, and influencers alike. Amongst pastels, prints and “cottagecore” fashion accounts, the chunky platform soled version, the Crocs Classic Platform Clog, found fame as the perfect fit for the curated pastel palette that dominated Instagram this year.

But it’s not just Instagram that’s fallen head over heels for the rubber shoe. When Crocs joined TikTok back in 2019, they gained more than 100k followers just a week after launching the profile. The secret? They were reactive. CrocTok (Or TikCroc, call it what you want) had already stormed the social media platform, seeing a number of viral challenges involving the shoe. To keep the momentum going, Crocs teamed up with none other than Post Malone for a TikTok challenge, inspired by his track “I’m Gonna Be,” which featured the lyrics “Richard Mille my watch; thousand dollar Crocs.”

The Thousand Dollar Crocs challenge saw TikTokers customising their Crocs to fit with the brands “Come As You Are” messaging. Less than six hours after launching the challenge, the hashtag had been viewed 95 million times, and 45,000 videos had been created and Posty landed his first collaborative shoe.

In 2021, #crocs now sits at 1.6 billion views on the platform, where influencers and TikTokers share styling and customisation videos centred around the shoe.

Considered to be a more climate-conscious generation, Crocs was likely to have won over Gen Z with the introduction of their sustainability initiative. This year, they announced their commitment to becoming a Net-Zero Company by 2030, and vowed to transition to a more sustainable bio base version of their classic Croslite™ material. They also teamed up with THREDUP to encourage consumers to recycle their clothes for Crocs credits. Conscious and comfy!

In addition to reducing their carbon footprint, the brand also committed to its brand purpose of being a vocal advocate for inclusivity and representation. The brand has always stayed true to their ‘come as you are’ messaging, which is likely to be another reason it resonates with Gen Z so much - numerous studies have found that the generation wants brands to be fun, authentic and good.

Whilst we definitely steered towards comfortable dressing at home throughout the pandemic (when we could enjoy our comfy Crocs away from the judgement of the outside world) it’s surprising that the popularity continued into summer 2021, but less so when you consider that kitschy Y2K aesthetic, bold prints and pastels were everywhere this year. Getting dressed became less about fitting in, and more about ditching the black trackies we lived through quarantine and revelling in the fact that we could really start dressin’ again. Couple this with their celebrity co-signs, perhaps now is the perfect time to slip a cheeky Croc into the fit?

Ready to get your croc on? Shop some of our favourite styles below...